System and method of fabricating ESD FinFET with improved metal landing in the drain

ABSTRACT

A mandrel is formed over an active region that includes a first region and a second region. The first region and the second region are reserved for the formation of a source and a drain of a FinFET, respectively. A portion of the mandrel formed over the second region is broken up into a first segment and a second segment separated from the first segment by a gap. Spacers are formed on opposite sides of the mandrel. Using the spacers, fins are defined. The fins protrude upwardly out of the active region. A portion of the second region corresponding to the gap has no fins formed thereover. The source is epitaxially grown on the fins in the first region. At least a portion of the drain is epitaxially grown on the portion of the second region having no fins.

PRIORITY DATA

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/339,282, filed Oct. 31, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,865,589, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor industry has progressed into nanometer technologyprocess nodes in pursuit of higher device density, higher performance,and lower costs. As this progression takes place, challenges from bothfabrication and design issues have resulted in the development ofthree-dimensional designs, such as fin-like field effect transistor(FinFET) device. A typical FinFET device is fabricated with a thin “fin”(or fin-like structure) extending from a substrate. The fin usuallyincludes silicon and forms the body of the transistor device. Thechannel of the transistor is formed in this vertical fin. A gate isprovided over (e.g., wrapping around) the fin. This type of gate allowsgreater control of the channel. Other advantages of FinFET devicesinclude reduced short channel effect and higher current flow.

However, conventional FinFET devices may still have certain drawbacks.One drawback is that, for FinFET devices that are used for electrostaticdischarge (ESD) protection, the drain region is substantially wider thanthe source region (and wider than drain regions of other non-ESD type ofFinFET devices. The longer drain site may lead to poor epitaxial growth,which may cause metal contact landing problems. For example, the metalcontact that is supposed to be formed on the ESD drain site may actuallyhave connection problems with the ESD drain site. The poor connectionbetween the ESD drain site and the metal contact consequently degradesdevice performance and may even lead to device failures.

Therefore, while existing FinFET devices and the fabrication thereofhave been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have notbeen entirely satisfactory in every aspect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasizedthat, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, variousfeatures are not drawn to scale and are used for illustration purposesonly. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarilyincreased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example FinFET device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective three-dimensional view of a FinFET deviceaccording to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a FinFET device according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-10A, 12A-15A, 4B-10B, 12B-15B are different cross-sectionalside views of a FinFET device according to various embodiments of thepresent disclosure

FIG. 11 is a top view of a FinFET device according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart of a method for fabricating a FinFET device inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is understood that the following disclosure provides many differentembodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of thepresent disclosure. Specific examples of components and arrangements aredescribed below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, ofcourse, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Forexample, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature inthe description that follows may include embodiments in which the firstand second features are formed in direct contact, and may also includeembodiments in which additional features may be formed between the firstand second features, such that the first and second features may not bein direct contact. In addition, the present disclosure may repeatreference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. Thisrepetition is for the sake of simplicity and clarity and does not initself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/orconfigurations discussed. Moreover, various features may be arbitrarilydrawn in different scales for the sake of simplicity and clarity.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over,elements described as being “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

The present disclosure is directed to, but not otherwise limited to, afin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET) device. The FinFET device, forexample, may be a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) deviceincluding a P-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) FinFET device and anN-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) FinFET device. The followingdisclosure will continue with one or more FinFET examples to illustratevarious embodiments of the present disclosure. It is understood,however, that the application should not be limited to a particular typeof device, except as specifically claimed.

The use of FinFET devices has been gaining popularity in thesemiconductor industry. Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of anexample FinFET device 50 is illustrated. The FinFET device 50 is anon-planar multi-gate transistor that is built over a substrate (such asa bulk substrate). A thin silicon “fin-like” structure (referred to asfin) forms the body of the FinFET device 50. The fin has a fin widthW_(fin). A gate 60 of the FinFET device 50 is wrapped around this fin.Lg denotes a length (or width, depending on the perspective) of the gate60. The gate 60 may include a gate electrode component 60A and a gatedielectric component 60B. The gate dielectric 60B has a thicknesst_(ox). A portion of the gate 60 is located over a dielectric isolationstructure such as shallow trench isolation (STI). A source 70 and adrain 80 of the FinFET device 50 are formed in extensions of the fin onopposite sides of the gate 60. The fin itself serves as a channel. Theeffective channel length of the FinFET device 50 is determined by thedimensions of the fin.

FinFET devices offer several advantages over traditional Metal-OxideSemiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) devices (also referred toas planar devices). These advantages may include better chip areaefficiency, improved carrier mobility, and fabrication processing thatis compatible with the fabrication processing of planar devices. Thus,it may be desirable to design an integrated circuit (IC) chip usingFinFET devices for a portion of, or the entire IC chip.

However, traditional FinFET fabrication methods may still haveshortcomings. For example, FinFET devices may be used for electrostaticdischarge (ESD) protection. The ESD FinFET devices may have differentphysical characteristics than non-ESD FinFET devices. For example, anon-ESD FinFET device may have a source region and a drain region thatare not that different from one another in terms of their dimensions.However, for ESD FinFET devices, the drain region (also interchangeablyreferred to as a drain site or drain component) may be substantiallylonger than the source region. In various embodiments, the drain regionof ESD FinFET devices may be at least two times (or even three times ormore) wider than the source region. This also means that the drainregion of ESD FinFET devices may be substantially wider than the drainregion of non-ESD FinFET devices as well. The longer drain region isconfigured to facilitate the dissipation of the electrostatic discharge,and as such, it is one of the unique features of ESD devices.

However, conventional methods of fabricating ESD FinFET devices may leadto poor epitaxial growth for this longer drain region. The poorepitaxial growth may cause “metal landing” problems. For example, ametal contact that is supposed to be formed on the drain region of theESD FinFET device (so as to electrically couple the drain of the ESDFinFET device to other microelectronic components) may not make goodphysical (or electrical) contact with the epitaxially grown drainregion. In some cases, the metal contact may make physical contact withsome parts of the epitaxially grown drain region. In other cases, themetal contact may not even make physical contact with the epitaxiallygrown drain region at all. These poor “metal landing” problems maydegrade device performance (e.g., transistor drain current) and may evenlead to device failures. Furthermore, as semiconductor device sizescontinue to get scaled down, these problems described above may beexacerbated.

To improve device performance and yield, the present disclosure utilizesvarious fabrication techniques to fabricate ESD FinFET devices withimproved “metal landing”, as discussed in more detail below withreference to FIGS. 2-16.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional perspective view of a FinFET device 100.The FinFET device 100 is fabricated over a substrate, which is notspecifically illustrated herein for reasons of simplicity. In someembodiments, the substrate includes a dielectric material, for examplesilicon oxide (SiO2). Other suitable materials may also be used for thesubstrate in alternative embodiments.

The FinFET device 100 includes a semiconductor layer 110. In anembodiment, the semiconductor layer 110 includes a crystal siliconmaterial. An implantation process (e.g., an anti-punch-throughimplantation process) may be performed to implant a plurality of dopantions to the semiconductor layer 110. The dopant ions may include ann-type material in some embodiments, for example arsenic (As) orphosphorous (P), or they may include a p-type material in some otherembodiments, for example boron (B), depending on whether an NMOS or aPMOS is needed. Dielectric isolation structures 160 such as shallowtrench isolation (STI) are formed over the semiconductor layer 110.

The FinFET device 100 includes fin structures 150 that partiallyprotrude upwards and out of the isolation structures 160. In otherwords, at least a portion of each fin structure 150 is not covered bythe isolation structures 160. Source/drain epi regions 290 are formed onthe fin structures 150. In some embodiments, the source/drain epiregions 290 have a diamond-like cross-sectional profile.

Interlayer dielectric (ILD) 300 is formed over the isolation structures160 and over the fin structures 150 and the source/drain epi regions290. In some embodiments, the ILD 300 contains silicon oxide. The ILD300 may be formed by a suitable deposition process followed by apolishing process such as chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP), so as toplanarize the upper surface of the ILD 300.

A functional gate structure 320 is formed to wrap around the finstructures 150 and the source/drain epi regions 290. In someembodiments, the functional gate structure 320 includes a high-k gatedielectric and a metal gate electrode. A high-k dielectric material is amaterial having a dielectric constant that is greater than a dielectricconstant of SiO2, which is approximately 4. In an embodiment, the high-kgate dielectric includes hafnium oxide (HfO2), which has a dielectricconstant that is in a range from approximately 18 to approximately 40.In alternative embodiments, the high-k gate dielectric may include ZrO₂,Y₂O₃, La₂O₅, Gd₂O₅, TiO₂, Ta₂O₅, HfErO, HfLaO, HfYO, HfGdO, HfAlO,HfZrO, HfTiO, HfTaO, or SrTiO. The metal gate electrode may include awork function metal component and a fill metal component. The workfunctional metal component is configured to tune a work function of itscorresponding FinFET to achieve a desired threshold voltage Vt. Invarious embodiments, the work function metal component may contain:TiAl, TiAlN, TaCN, TiN, WN, or W, or combinations thereof. The fillmetal component is configured to serve as the main conductive portion ofthe functional gate structure 320. In various embodiments, the fillmetal component may contain Aluminum (Al), Tungsten (W), Copper (Cu), orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the gate structures 320 maybe formed by a gate replacement process in which a dummy gate structureis replaced by the functional gate structure 320. The gate structure 320may also be surrounded on the sides by spacers 280. The fabricationprocesses used to form the FinFET device 100 are discussed in moredetail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/261,302, filed on Sep. 9,2016, entitled “System and Method for Widening Fin Widths for SmallPitch FinFET Devices”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Since the FinFET device 100 shown in FIG. 2 is a three-dimensionalstructure, different two-dimensional cross-sectional views may beobtained by slicing or cutting the FinFET device 100 in either anX-direction or a Y-direction (the X and Y directions are illustrated inFIG. 2), also referred to as an X-cut or a Y-cut, respectively. TheX-direction and the Y-direction are perpendicular to each other. Varioustwo-dimensional cross-sectional views along the X-cut or the Y-cut willbe discussed in more detail below.

As discussed above, for FinFET devices, the epi regions 290 may be usedas a source component or a drain component of a FinFET transistor. Forexample, the epi region 290 disposed on one side of a FinFET transistormay be a source component, and the epi region 290 disposed on anopposite side of the FinFET transistor may be a drain component. Forsome FinFET devices, the source component and the drain component may besomewhat symmetrical, for example they may have substantially similarsizes or dimensions. However, for ESD FinFET devices, the source/drainsymmetry may not exist. For example, a drain component of an ESD FinFETdevice may be substantially longer (e.g., longer in the X-directionshown in FIG. 2) than the source component. The longer drain may helpfacilitate the dissipation of electrostatic charges. However, the longerdrain of ESD FinFET devices may also lead to poor epitaxial growth,which may adversely affect the metal contact landing on the drain.

The present disclosure implements certain layout and processmodifications to avert the poor epitaxial growth problem associated withthe longer drain. Referring to FIG. 3, a top view of a portion of an IClayout 400 is illustrated. The portion of the IC layout 400 shows, amongother things, an active region (OD) 410, example polysilicon regions(PO) 420, 421, 422, and 423, and example OD mandrels 430A/B, 431A/B,432A/B, 433A/B, 434A/B, 435A/B, and 436A/B. The active region 410, thepolysilicon regions 420-423, and the OD mandrels 430A/B to 436A/B aresurrounded (in the top view) by a dielectric isolation structure such asa shallow trench isolation (STI) 440. The X-direction and theY-direction (shown in FIG. 2) are also illustrated in the top view ofFIG. 3, so as to help the reader orient or associate the 3D view of FIG.2 with the top view of FIG. 3.

The active region 410 is the region where the source or drain of atransistor (such as the FinFET device 100 discussed above) will beformed. The polysilicon regions 420-423 are where the dummy gatestructures will be formed. And since the dummy gate structures 200 willbe replaced by functional gate structures 320 later, the polysiliconregions 420-423 correspond to the gate components of FinFET transistors.The OD mandrels 430A/B-436A/B will be used to define the fin structuresdiscussed above with reference to FIG. 2. For example, spacers may beformed on opposite sides (in the Y-direction) of each of the OD mandrels430A/B-436A/B, and these spacers may be used later to define the finstructures (e.g., the fin structures 150 discussed above with referenceto FIG. 2). As such, each OD mandrel can be used to define two finstructures. The details of using the OD mandrels to form the finstructures are discussed in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 8,881,084,filed on May 14, 2010, entitled “FinFET Boundary Optimization”, thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the portion of theIC layout 400 may include ESD FinFET transistor. For example, the region421 may be considered a gate component of the ESD FinFET transistor (orwhere the gate will be formed eventually), the portion of the activeregion 410 left of the region 421 may be considered a source region ofthe ESD FinFET transistor, and the portion of the active region 410right of the region 421 may be considered a drain region of the ESDFinFET transistor. To facilitate the ensuing discussions, the sourceregion of the ESD FinFET transistor is labeled herein as a source region450, and the drain region of the ESD FinFET transistor is labeled hereinas a drain region 460.

The source region 450 has a dimension 470 spanning (or being measuredin) the X-direction, and the drain region 460 has a dimension 480spanning the X-direction. These dimensions 470 and 480 may also bereferred to as lengths of the source region 450 and the drain region460, respectively. Note that the dimension 470 also corresponds to a“poly-to-poly” spacing (the distance separating adjacent gate structuresin the source region, and the dimension also corresponds to a“poly-to-poly” spacing in the drain region.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the dimension 480 of the drain region 460 issubstantially longer than the dimension 470 if the source region 450. Insome embodiments, the dimension 480 is at least twice as long as thedimension 470. In some embodiments, a ratio of the dimension 480 and thedimension 470 exceeds 4:1, meaning that the dimension 480 is four times(or more) as long as the dimension 470. In some embodiments, thedimension 480 is in a range from 0.3 microns to 0.6 microns.

As discussed above, the significantly longer drain 460 may lead toepi-growth problems (and metal contact landing problems later) if an ESDFinFET is formed according to conventional processes. For example,according to conventional ESD FinFET fabrication, the OD mandrels 430Aand 430B would be formed as a single continuous OD mandrel, and the sameis true for the other mandrels 431A-431B, 432A-432B, 433A-433B,434A-434B, 435A-435B, and 436A-436B. In comparison, whereas conventionESD FinFET fabrication would have defined continuous OD mandrel acrossthe entirety of the drain region, the present disclosure “breaks” eachof the OD mandrels in the drain region 460 into two separate segments.For example, a single OD mandrel is “broken” into the OD mandrel 431Aand the OD mandrel 431B, another OD mandrel is “broken” into the ODmandrel 432A and the OD mandrel 432B, yet another OD mandrel is “broken”into the OD mandrel 433A and the OD mandrel 433B, so on and so forth.

A gap 490 (denoted by dashed lines) now exists between the separated ODmandrels 431A-431B, 432A-432B, etc. Similar gaps also separate theseparated mandrels 430A-430B and 436A-436B, though the boundaries forthese gaps are not specifically illustrated herein. These gaps may alsobe viewed as extensions of the gap 490. The gap 490 may be viewed as aregion where mandrels are absent. As will be discussed in greater detailbelow, the gap 490 in the drain region is formed so as to prevent finstructures from being formed in the portion of the drain region 460corresponding to the gap 490. The absence of fin structures in the drainregion 460 will improve epitaxial growth of the drain, which will reducemetal contact landing problems in the drain. To ensure that the finstructures will be absent in a meaningful part of the drain region 460(e.g., in terms of dimension and/or location), the gap 490 has a lateraldimension (measured in the X-direction) 495 that is carefully configuredto be not too big or too small. In some embodiments, the lateraldimension 495 is in a range from 0.1 microns to 0.25 microns in someembodiments.

In some embodiments, the breaking up of the OD mandrels may be done atthe IC layout level. In other words, an initial design layout mayinclude continuous mandrels that span the source region 450 and thedrain region 460 in the X direction. This initial layout is modified orrevised so that the continuous mandrels (in the layout) are broken intoseparate pieces in the drain region 460. As such, thesubsequently-formed structures (e.g., OD mandrels) will be broken up inthe manner as specified by the revised layout. The breaking up of the ODmandrels promotes better epitaxial growth in the drain region 460 andtherefore allows for better metal contact landing in the drain, asdiscussed in greater detail below.

To facilitate the subsequent discussions of the present disclosure, across-sectional view of the ESD FinFET device is taken along a segmentof the cutline Y1-Y1′ in the source region 450, and anothercross-sectional view of the ESD FinFET device is taken along a segmentof the cutline Y2-Y2′ in the drain region 460. FIGS. 4A-10A and 12A-13Aare a series of cross-sectional drawings illustrating the fabricationprocesses performed in a part of the source region 450 (partially alongthe cutline Y1-Y1′), and FIGS. 4B-10B and 12B-13B are a series ofcross-sectional drawings illustrating the fabrication processesperformed in a part of the drain region 460 (partially along the cutlineY2-Y2′), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4B, the portion of the source region 450 and thedrain region 460 shown herein each include a semiconductor layer 500.The semiconductor layer 500 is an embodiment of the semiconductor layer110 discussed above. A pad oxide layer 510 is formed over thesemiconductor layer 500. The pad oxide layer 510 contains silicon oxide.A dielectric layer 520 is formed over the pad oxide layer 510, andanother dielectric layer 530 is formed over the dielectric layer 520.The dielectric layers 520 may contain silicon nitride, silicon oxide, orsilicon oxynitride, or combinations thereof. The dielectric layers520-530 may collectively (or in conjunction with the pad oxide layer510) serve as a hard mask that will be patterned to define finstructures.

As an example, FIG. 4A also illustrates one of the mandrels 432A (alsoshown in FIG. 3). It is understood that the other mandrels 431A and 433Aare disposed on either side of the mandrel 432A. Though these mandrels(and other mandrels) are not specifically illustrated herein for spaceconsiderations and for the sake of simplicity, it is understood that thediscussions below using the mandrel 432 as an example also applies tothe mandrels 431A and 433A. Also, since FIG. 4B corresponds to thecross-sectional view taken along Y2-Y2′, where the mandrels are brokenup (and thus not present), no mandrels are disposed on the dielectriclayer 530 in FIG. 4B. Thus, it may be said that according to theembodiments of the present disclosure, although mandrels are formed inthe source region 450 of the ESD FinFET, at least a portion of the drainregion 460 of the ESD FinFET have no mandrels formed therein.

Spacers 540-541 are formed on opposite sides of the mandrel 432A. InFIG. 4A, the spacers 540-541 are formed on the “left” and “right” sideof the mandrel 432A, and thus they would correspond to being formed onthe “top” side and the “bottom” side of the mandrel 432A in the top viewof FIG. 3. In some embodiments, respective spacers are formed on each ofthe mandrels 430A-436A. In some embodiments, the spacers 540-541 containa suitable dielectric material having a sufficient etching selectivitywith the mandrel 432A.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5B, the mandrel 432A is removed, for examplethrough an etching process. The spacers 540-541 still remain and will beused to define (or pattern) the fin structures of the FinFET. Again,since no mandrel is formed in the portion of the drain region 460 shownin FIG. 4B, no spacers are formed in FIG. 4B either.

Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6B, the spacers 540-541 are used to patternthe layers below, via one or more etching processes, to define finstructures 550A and 550B in the source region 450. This step may also bereferred to as “crown etching”, and it may be similar to the processdiscussed above with reference to FIG. 3. In other words, portions ofthe semiconductor layer 500 are etched away, and some remaining portionsof the semiconductor layer 500 now protrude upwardly out of the rest ofthe semiconductor layer. In FIG. 6B, since no spacers are formed there,no fin structures are formed either. However, a portion of thesemiconductor layer 500 is also etched away in FIG. 6B, as is the casein FIG. 6A.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A-7B, a photoresist layer 600 is formed in boththe source region 450 and the drain region 460. In the source region450, the photoresist layer 600 is formed over and covers up (protects)the fin structures 550A-550B while exposing some portions of thesemiconductor layer 500. These exposed portions of the semiconductorlayer 500 may be etched layer so that dielectric isolation structures(such as STI) may be formed in place thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 8A-8B, the exposed portions of the semiconductorlayer 500 are etched in both the source region 450 and the drain region460. Thereafter, the photoresist layer 600 is removed.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A-9B, the remaining portions of the layers520-530 are removed, and a dielectric material 620 is formed in thesource region 450 and the drain region 460. A polishing process such aschemical mechanical polishing (CMP) may be performed thereafter toplanarize the upper surface of the dielectric layer 620.

The dielectric material 620 will be etched subsequently to form thedielectric isolation structures such as STIs in both the source anddrain regions 450-460. However, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9B, the dielectricmaterial 620 in the drain region 460 is wider than the dielectricmaterial 620 in the source region 450. This is because the dielectricmaterial 620 in the source region 450 is interrupted by the finstructures 550A-550B. Thus, the dielectric material 620 in the sourceregion 450 is divided into several smaller blocks, whereas thedielectric material 620 in the drain region 460 is a continuous and longpiece. If an etching process is performed to the dielectric material620, the dielectric material 620 in the source region 450 may be moreeasily removed (since they are smaller pieces), but the dielectricmaterial 620 in the drain region 460 may be more difficult to removecompletely. An incomplete removal of the dielectric material (over theportions of the semiconductor layer 500 where epi-layers are to be grownin a subsequent process) may lead to poor quality epitaxial growth.

Therefore, the present disclosure also performs a treating step to aportion of the dielectric layer 620 in the drain region 460, so as toenhance its etching rate. Referring now to FIGS. 10A-10B, a patternedphotoresist layer 650 is formed over the dielectric layer 620 in thedrain region 460 (but not necessarily in the source region 450). Thepatterned photoresist layer 650 includes an opening 670 that exposes aportion of the dielectric layer 620 in the drain region 460. Animplantation process 680 is performed through the opening 670 to implantions into the exposed portions of the dielectric layer 620 in the drainregion 460. The implantation process 680 increases the etching rate ofthe implanted dielectric layer 620 in the subsequent dielectric layeretching process. This will aid in the removal of the dielectric layer620 over the portions of the semiconductor layer 500 where the drain isepitaxially grown.

FIG. 11 is provided to more clearly show the location of the opening 670of the patterned photoresist layer 650. In more detail, FIG. 11 is a topview of the portion of an IC layout 400, similar to that shown in FIG.3. The same elements appearing in both FIGS. 3 and 10 are labeled thesame for reasons of clarity and consistency. For reasons of simplicity,rather than showing the patterned photoresist layer 650 in this topview, the boundaries of the opening 670 formed by the photoresist layer650 is shown. As is shown in FIG. 11, the boundaries of the opening 670are greater than, and circumferentially surround, the gap 490. In otherwords, the gap 490 (corresponding to a portion of the drain region 460where no fin structures are formed) overlaps with the opening 670,though the dimensions of the gap 490 in both the X and Y directions aresmaller than those of the opening 670. It is understood that in order toensures the clean removal of the dielectric layer 620 that are disposedover the semiconductor layer 500 where the drain is supposed to beepitaxially grown, the opening 670 only needs to be as big as the gap490. However, the opening 670 is configured to be slightly bigger thanthe gap 490 so as to offer a more relaxed process window, so that if thelocation of the opening 670 shifts slightly, it will still expose all ofthe gap 490.

Note that if the patterned photoresist layer 650 wasn't formed at all,but the implantation process 680 is still performed, that may implantions into portions of the dielectric layer 620 that eventually form thedielectric isolation structure (e.g., STI). Having ions in thedielectric isolation structure may not be desirable, as that mayadversely impact the dielectric isolation structure's ability to serveas barriers for electricity. Thus, in some embodiments, a patternedphotoresist layer may also be formed in portions of the source region450 to block the ions from being implanted into certain portions of thedielectric layer 620 as well.

Referring now to FIGS. 12A-12B, the patterned photoresist layer 650 isremoved. An etching process 700 is performed to etch the dielectriclayer 620 until the fin structures 550A-550B are exposed, and the uppersurfaces 710-720 of the semiconductor layer 500 are exposed in both thesource region 450 and the drain region 460, respectively. As discussedabove, the upper surfaces 710-720 need to be clean in order to ensuregood epitaxial growth to form the source and drain of the FinFET. Thus,the dielectric layer 620 disposed over the upper surfaces 710-720 shouldbe thoroughly removed. Due to the long dimension of the drain region460, this would have been difficult without enhancing the etching rateof the dielectric layer 620. However, since the implantation process 680is performed through the opening 670 (FIG. 10B) to enhance the etchingrate of the exposed dielectric layer 620, portions of the dielectriclayer 620 can be thoroughly and cleanly removed during the etchingprocess 700, thereby leaving clean exposed upper surfaces 710-720 forthe semiconductor layers 500 in the source region 450 and the drainregion 460. Dielectric isolation structures (e.g., STIs) are formed bythe remaining portions of the dielectric layer 620.

At this stage of fabrication, the fin structures are exposed, and theSTIs are formed. A plurality of other processes is also performed toform the source and drain of the FinFET. Since these processes (such asformation of the gate) have already been discussed above, they will notbe repeated again herein.

Referring now to FIGS. 13A-13B, an epitaxial growth process 750 isperformed to epitaxially grow epi-layers 760 in the source region 450and an epi-layer 770 in the drain region 460. Referring to FIG. 13A, theepi-layers 760 are grown on the fin structures 550A-550B, which areportions of the semiconductor layer 500 protruding upwardly out of thesemiconductor layer 500. In some embodiments, each epi-layer 760 mayhave a cross-sectional profile (in the Y-cut shown in FIG. 13A) thatresemble a diamond. In other embodiments, each epi-layer 760 may have across-sectional profile that resembles the source/drain epi region 290shown in FIG. 2.

Of course, it is understood that devices fabricated in the real worldmay not have such a clearly defined cross-sectional profile, but it isunderstood that the upper surfaces 780 of the epi-layers 760 may stillbe “bumpy” (e.g., have rise-and-falls) and are not smooth or flat. Theepi-layers 760 serve as the source component of the ESD FinFET. The finstructures 550A-550B (e.g., the protruding portions of the semiconductorlayer 500) may also be considered a part of the source component.

In comparison, the epi-layer 770 in the drain region 460 has a differentprofile than the epi-layers 760 in the source region 450. Since theillustrated portion of the drain region 460 does not have the finstructures, the epi-layer 770 is formed on the semiconductor layer 500.As a result, the epi-layer 770 is formed to have a cross-sectionalprofile that more closely resembles a block or a rectangle (without thesharp 90 degree angles). Due to the performance of the implantationprocess 680 discussed above, and consequently the clean removal of theexposed portion of the dielectric layer, the semiconductor layer 500 (onwhich the epi-layer 770 is grown) has a good surface for epitaxialgrowth. As such, the epitaxial growth of the epi-layer 770 is enhanced.

Compared to the epi-layer 760 in the source region 450, the epi-layer770 in the drain region 460 may also be thicker and taller. In someembodiments, the height of the epi-layer 770 exceeds the combined heightof the epi-layer 760 and the fin structure 550A/B on which it is formed.In addition, since the epi-layer 770 is grown on a relatively flatsurface (the surface 720 of the semiconductor layer 500, as shown inFIG. 12B), rather than on protruding fin structures, an upper surface790 of the epi-layer 770 is flatter and/or smoother than the uppersurface 780 of the epi-layers 760. It is understood, however, that theupper surface 780 of the epi-layer 790 may not be entirely flat orsmooth in real world fabrication, and it may still exhibit some surfacetopography variations (e.g., rise-and-falls or dips). It is just thatcompared to the upper surface 780 of the epi-layer 760, the uppersurface 790 of the epi-layer 770 has smaller topography variations.

Again, the difference in the epi-layers formed in the source region 450and the drain region 460 is attributed to the fact that this part of thedrain region 460 has no fin structures formed, which is due to the“breaking” of the mandrels as discussed above with reference to FIG. 3.Had the mandrels not been “broken”, the epi-layers would also have beenformed on fin structures in the drain region 460, which may thenresemble the epi-layer 760 in the source region 450. However, due to thelonger length of the drain region 460 compared to the source region 450(the dimensions 480 and 470 discussed above with reference to FIG. 3),the drain region epi-layers (had they been formed on fin structures) mayend up having a shorter height. This may lead to metal contact landingproblems. For example, in a subsequent fabrication stage, conductivemetal contacts are formed in the drain region 460 and/or the sourceregion 450. If the epi-layer in the drain region is too short (i.e., notthick enough), the metal contact may not be in full contact with theupper surface of the epi-layer, which leads to poor electricalconnections. In addition, even if some physical contact is made betweenthe two, the physical contact may not be optimal, due to thejagged/rough upper surface of the epi-layer. This also leads to poorelectrical connections. However, this is not a problem herein, becauseas discussed above, the epi-layer 770 formed in the drain region 460 isnot formed on fin structures, and as such it can be grown to have arelatively good thickness/height and a relatively flat/smooth surface,which will allow it to make good physical contact with the metalcontact.

It is also noted that another difference between the source region 450and the drain region 460 is that the source region 450 has more air gapsthan the drain region 460. In more detail, the epi-layers 760, the finstructures 550A-550B, and the semiconductor layer 500 may collectivelytrap an air gap 740 therein as the epi-layer 760 is grown. This is atleast in part due to the laterally-protruding profile of the epi-layers760. If two adjacent epi-layers 760 merge or come into physical contactwith one another, such air gap 740 may be formed as a result. Incomparison, the epi-layer 770 in the drain region is substantially freeof air gaps, since it is grown on a relatively flat surface. Thepresence of air gaps such as the air gap 740 in the source component ofthe ESD FinFET may not pose a problem for metal contact landing as longas there can be good physical contact between the epi-layer 760 with themetal contact formed thereover. The difference in air gaps between thesource component and the drain component is another distinguishingphysical characteristic of the ESD FinFET devices formed according tothe present disclosure, which may not exist in conventionally fabricatedESD FinFET devices.

The difference between the epi-layers 760 and 770 are also illustratedin FIGS. 14A-14B, which are also cross-sectional side views of thesource region 450 and the drain region 460, albeit taken along thecut-lines X1-X1′ and X2-X2′ (along the X-direction) as shown in the topview of FIG. 3. For example, FIGS. 14A and 14B each shows portions oftwo adjacent gate structures 800 formed over fin structures (e.g., thesemiconductor layer 500 protruding upward), which may be implemented asan embodiment of the gate structures 320 discussed above with referenceto FIG. 2. For example, the gate structures 800 may include metal gateelectrodes formed by a gate replacement process discussed above. Thedistance 470 (discussed above with reference to FIG. 3) separates thegate structures 800 in the source region 450, and the distance 480 (alsodiscussed above with reference to FIG. 3) separates the gate structures800 in the drain region 460. As discussed above, the distance 480 isgreater than the distance 470 (e.g., at least twice as long), thoughthis may not be readily appreciated in FIGS. 14A-14B, since FIGS. 14Aand 14B are not drawn in scale.

The epi-layer 760 is formed between the two adjacent gate structures 800in the source region 450. The epi-layer 770 is formed between the twoadjacent gate structures 800 in the drain region 460. Comparing theepi-layers 760 and 770, it can be seen that the upper surface 780 of theepi-layer 760 has more rise-and-falls than the upper surface 790 of theepi-layer 770. In other words, the topography variation of the surface790 is smaller than the topography variation of the surface 780. Theflatter or smoother surface 790 provides a good contact surface formetal contacts. In some embodiments, the epi-layer 770 may also betaller or thicker than the epi-layer 760 due to the fact that theepi-layer is not grown on fin structures.

Again, had the mandrels not been broken up, and that fin structures wereformed extending along the drain region 460 in its entirety, theepi-layer formed as a part of the drain would have been more similar tothe epi-layer 760 in its surface characteristics. However, due to thelonger length of the drain region 460, that epi-layer (formed on finstructures in the drain) may also be substantially shorter/thinner thanits counterpart in the source region 450, and certainly shorter/thinnerthan the epi-layer 770 formed in the drain region 460 according to theembodiments discussed herein. That would have caused metal contactlanding problems, as the metal contact may have difficulty coming intocontact with the rough upper surface of the drain epi-layer that mayalso be short/thin.

Note that portions of the epi-layer 770 (near the gate structures 800)may also exhibit some unevenness in its upper surface. This is caused bythe fact that the absence of the mandrels is not throughout the drainregion 460. As shown in FIG. 3, though the mandrels have been broken inthe drain region 460, thereby leading to an absence of mandrels (andsubsequently formed fin structures) in the drain region 460, there arestill some remaining segments of the mandrels in the drain region 460.In this case, the fin structures would be formed on opposite sides (topand bottom) of the remaining segments of the mandrels, and thus someparts of the epi-layer (e.g., the portions shown in FIG. 14B having thejagged upper surface) are still formed on fin structures. However, sincethe metal contact is supposed to be formed closer to the center ormiddle of the epi-layer 770, the non-flat surfaces of the epi-layer 770close to the gate structures 800 should not present a problem.

It is understood that, if desired, the mandrels can be broken in amanner such that the drain region 460 is substantially free of mandrelsegments, as long as the layout plan is revised accordingly. This wouldhave prevented fin structures being formed in the drain region 460, andconsequently the epi-layer 770 being formed in the drain region 460would likely have a substantially flat or relatively smooth uppersurface throughout, rather than just a middle portion of it beingrelatively flat or smooth.

It is also noted that since the cross-sectional cut is taken differentlyin FIGS. 14A-14B (along the Y-direction in FIG. 3) and FIGS. 13A-13B(along the X-direction in FIG. 3), the air gap 740 illustrated in FIG.13A may not appear in FIG. 14A, because it may not be “visible”according to the cut taken.

Referring now to FIGS. 15A-15B, conductive metal contacts 820 and 830are formed in the source region 450 and drain region 460, respectively.The metal contact 820 is formed to be in physical and electrical contactwith the upper surface 780 of the epi-layer 760, and the metal contact830 is formed to be in physical and electrical contact with the uppersurface 790 of the epi-layer 770. Since the epi-layers 760 and 770 serveas parts of the source and drain components of the ESD FinFET device,the metal contacts 820 and 830 provide electrical connectivity to thesource and drain components of the ESD FinFET device. As discussedabove, the methods discussed herein allow the metal contact 830 to beformed with good physical and electrical connections with the epi-layer770, which would have been a problem in conventional ESD FinFET devicesdue to the longer drain length.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a method 900 for fabricating a FinFET devicein accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The method900 includes a step 910 of forming a mandrel over an active region thatincludes a first region and a second region. The first region isreserved for a formation of a source component of a FinFET. The secondregion is reserved for a formation of a drain component of the FinFET.The forming the mandrel is performed such that a portion of the mandrelformed over the second region is broken up into a first segment and asecond segment separated from the first segment by a gap.

The method 900 includes a step 920 of forming spacers on opposite sidesof the mandrel.

The method 900 includes a step 930 of defining, using the spacers, finsthat protrude upwardly out of the active region. A portion of the secondregion corresponding to the gap has no fins formed thereover.

The method 900 includes a step 940 of epitaxially growing the sourcecomponent in the first region and the drain component in the secondregion. The source component is epitaxially grown on the fins in thefirst region. At least a portion of the drain component is epitaxiallygrown on the portion of the second region having no fins.

In some embodiments, the FinFET includes an electrostatic discharge(ESD) device.

In some embodiments, the second region is longer than the first regionin a direction along which the mandrel extends. For example, the secondregion may be at least twice as long as the first region.

In some embodiments, the forming the mandrel comprises: receiving anIntegrated Circuit (IC) layout plan that includes a continuous mandrelspanning the first region and the second region; and modifying the IClayout plan such that the portion of the mandrel formed over the secondregion is broken up into the first segment and the second segment.

In some embodiments, the epitaxially growing is performed such that thesource component includes more air trapped therein than the draincomponent.

In some embodiments, the drain component is grown to have a smootherupper surface than the source component.

It is understood that additional process steps may be performed before,during, or after the steps 910-940 discussed above to complete thefabrication of the semiconductor device. For example, before the step940 of epitaxially growing the source component and the drain componentis performed, a dielectric layer is formed over the first region and thesecond region. A photoresist layer is then formed. The photoresist layerdefines an opening that includes (or surrounds) the gap. An implantationprocess is performed through the opening to implant ions into a portionof the dielectric layer exposed by the opening. As another example, aconductive contact is formed on the portion of the drain component thatis epitaxially grown on the portion of the second region having no fins.Other process steps are not discussed herein for reasons of simplicity.

Based on the above discussions, it can be seen that the presentdisclosure offers advantages over conventional FinFET and thefabrication thereof. It is understood, however, that other embodimentsmay offer additional advantages, and not all advantages are necessarilydisclosed herein, and that no particular advantage is required for allembodiments. One advantage is that by breaking the mandrels in a portionof the drain region of the ESD FinFET, it prevents fin structures frombeing formed in that portion of the drain region. The absence of the finstructures allow the epi-layer later formed in the drain region to haveflatter and smoother surfaces that it otherwise would have (e.g.,compared to a drain of an ESD FinFET fabricated according toconventional processes). The epi-layer formed in the drain region mayalso be thicker than the epi-layer of the drain of conventional ESDFinFETs. Furthermore, the implantation process performed to thedielectric layer in the portion of the drain enhances the etching rateof the dielectric layer, which allows for a cleaner removal of thedielectric layer over a portion of a semiconductor layer where theepi-layer will be grown in the drain. Other advantages includecompatibility with existing processing steps and the ease ofimplementation. Therefore, implementing the present disclosure will notsignificantly increase fabrication costs.

One aspect of the present disclosure involves a method of fabricating asemiconductor device. A mandrel is formed over an active region thatincludes a first region and a second region. The first region and thesecond region are reserved for the formation of a source and a drain ofa FinFET, respectively. A portion of the mandrel formed over the secondregion is broken up into a first segment and a second segment separatedfrom the first segment by a gap. Spacers are formed on opposite sides ofthe mandrel. Using the spacers, fins are defined. The fins protrudeupwardly out of the active region. A portion of the second regioncorresponding to the gap has no fins formed thereover. The source isepitaxially grown on the fins in the first region. At least a portion ofthe drain is epitaxially grown on the portion of the second regionhaving no fins.

Another aspect of the present disclosure involves a method offabricating a semiconductor device. A mandrel is formed over a firstregion of a semiconductor layer corresponding to a source of a FinFETand over a second region of the semiconductor layer corresponding to adrain of the FinFET. The second region is longer than the first region.The mandrel formed over the first region is continuous. The mandrelformed over the second region is divided into a first segment and asecond segment that is spaced apart from the first segment. At least inpart using the mandrel, fin structures are formed that protrude upwardlyout of the semiconductor layer. At least a part of the source of theFinFET is epitaxially grown on the fin structures in the first region.At least a part of the drain of the FinFET is epitaxially grown on thesemiconductor layer in the second region.

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure involves a semiconductordevice. The semiconductor device includes a gate component. A sourcecomponent is disposed on a first side of the gate component. The sourcecomponent includes a plurality of fin structures protruding out of asemiconductor layer and a first epi-layer grown on the fin structures. Adrain component is disposed on a second side of the gate component, thesecond side being opposite the first side, wherein the drain componentincludes a second epi-layer grown on a portion of the semiconductorlayer that is free of protruding fin structures.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a sourceregion of a FinFET transistor, wherein the source region includes: a finstructure that protrudes out of a semi-conductive layer; and a firstepi-layer formed over the fin structure; and a drain region of theFinFET transistor, wherein the drain region includes a second epi-layerformed directly on the semi-conductive layer, and wherein an uppersurface of the source region is substantially rougher than an uppersurface of the drain region, and wherein a thickness of the secondepi-layer exceeds a combined thickness of the first epi-layer and thefin structure.
 2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein no finstructures are formed between the second epi-layer and thesemi-conductive layer.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein:the source region includes a plurality of the fin structures and aplurality of the first epi-layers; and one or more air gaps are trappedby the plurality of the fin structures, the plurality of the firstepi-layers, and the semi-conductive layer.
 4. The semiconductor deviceof claim 3, wherein no air gaps are formed in the drain region.
 5. Thesemiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the drain region has a greaterlength than the source region.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 1,wherein the FinFET transistor comprises an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)device.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the firstepi-layer has a side-view profile that resembles a diamond.
 8. Asemiconductor device, comprising: a source region of a FinFET, whereinthe source region includes: a plurality of fin structures that protrudesout of a semi-conductive layer; and a plurality of first epi-layersgrown over the plurality of fin structures, respectively; a drain regionof the FinFET, wherein the drain region is substantially longer than thesource region in a top view, and wherein the drain region includes asecond epi-layer grown directly over and contacting the semi-conductivelayer, and wherein the second epi-layer of the drain region has asubstantially more planar surface than the first epi-layers of thesource region; a first metal contact disposed over the first epi-layers;and a second metal contact disposed over the second epi-layer.
 9. Thesemiconductor device of claim 8, wherein the FinFET comprises anElectrostatic Discharge (ESD) device.
 10. The semiconductor device ofclaim 9, wherein: one or more voids are trapped by the plurality of thefin structures, the plurality of the first epi-layers, and thesemi-conductive layer.
 11. The semiconductor device of claim 8, whereinthe second epi-layer is taller than the first epi-layer.
 12. Asemiconductor device, comprising: a gate component; a source componentdisposed on a first side of the gate component, wherein the sourcecomponent includes a plurality of fin structures protruding out of asemiconductor layer and a first epi-layer grown on the fin structures;and a drain component disposed on a second side of the gate component,the second side being opposite the first side, wherein the draincomponent includes a second epi-layer grown on a portion of thesemiconductor layer that is free of protruding fin structures.
 13. Thesemiconductor device of claim 12, wherein an upper surface of the secondepi-layer is smoother than an upper surface of the first epi-layer. 14.The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein the second epi-layer isthicker than the first epi-layer.
 15. The semiconductor device of claim12, wherein the semiconductor device is an electrostatic discharge (ESD)FinFET.
 16. The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein the sourcecomponent includes more air trapped therein than the drain component.17. The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein the drain component islonger than the source component.
 18. The semiconductor device of claim17, wherein the drain component is at least twice as long as the sourcecomponent.
 19. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the firstepi-layer has a first cross-sectional view profile, and wherein thesecond epi-layer has a second cross-sectional view profile differentfrom the first cross-sectional view profile.
 20. The semiconductordevice of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the first epi-layer islocated above an upper surface of the semi-conductive layer.